


Metal Forest

by shadelostwolf



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Muteness, Sign Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21599638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadelostwolf/pseuds/shadelostwolf
Summary: Who is Hunter? Hunter is given a second to make a choice. Is the decision Hunter made a good one or a bad one? All it takes is a second to change everything.
Kudos: 3





	Metal Forest

**Author's Note:**

> A short story I made in a narrative class.

The cold from the metal wall seeped through the thin shirt he was wearing. He picked at a loose thread in his ratty jeans, the quiet of the cell pressing in on him as he waited. Cold and hungry and scared of what might happen next. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried to pick a rich man’s pocket. He wouldn’t be the first kid to disappear in this city. This would probably be the worst off he has been in the last year.

His world was fine when he still had his parents.

But it all ended as fast as a fiery explosion.

His fingers slowly moved in a clumsy dance to form words that gave a sense of comfort to him. He could remember his mom’s hands dancing gracefully to create words and stories. It distracted from the harsh lights that lit up the small room. His fingers kept moving, and he repeated a story his mom would tell him when he was scared. He had only made it through half the story when the sounds of the cell door opening drew his attention. A spike of fear shot through his heart and hands curled into tight fists. A man stood in the opening, he watched the man step back and motion for him to follow.

“King would like to talk to you.”

In a blink of an eye, he found himself gone from the harshly bright room to standing before a towering man of shadows. Startled, he watched as an all too white grin appeared on the shadowed man, a sound slowly hissed from the shadows. “Hunter.” The name was long and drawn out. He took a step back, “Hunter!” The shadows grew larger as the sound of the name grew louder. He turned to run, fear a sharp metallic taste on his tongue. Only to have himself swallowed in the shadows before he could make it to the door. The word echoed around him until it felt like he was drowning in the sounds. His hands clapped over his ears. It was too loud, too much sound. Too much!

A loud screech caused Hunter to jolt up from where he had been sleeping. His eyes darted around, looking for the source of the sound. When they landed on a large rat, he found himself scowling at the rat. It was perched on the metal container that he had tucked himself behind. Poor choice for sleeping, but with no money to his name, he couldn’t be too picky. At least it was dry where he was tucked into the alcove. He untucked himself from his hole, picking up a mask made in the shape of a wolf’s head.

Fingers pushed back short messy dark brown hair, so he could pull on the mask. His fingers tugged at the straps and made sure the mask was secure. It was made of black and darker blue metal alloy that he never bothered to find out what it was. It was scuffed and dull from prolonged use. Reaching down, he picked up his coat that he pulled on to cover a thin shirt and warm olive-brown skin. He tugged up the hood on the jacket before stepping out from the alcove. The sound of rain filtering through the many layers of pipes and grated walkways had him looking up. People walking by on the walkways cast shadows over him.

Hunter gave himself a hard shake dispelling the last of his dream from his mind. He shouldn’t be afraid of the shadows, he’s been swimming in them since he was a child. His stomach gave a grumble, and Hunter frowned. He needed to find something to eat first. A squeak from the rat had him cringing. He wasn’t that desperate.

With a huff of air, he quickly found the stairs to the next level of grated walkways. There had to be somewhere he could get food. He walked past a group of people whispering among themselves.

“Did you hear about that poor family?” An older woman was talking to another younger woman who was standing in front of a small open-air shop. When the other woman shook her head, and the older gentleman behind the counter gave a low grunt, she continued. “The local head sent the Wolfhounds after them. Apparently, the husband refused to help. They trashed the place, and now they’re after the granddaughter.”

Hunter paused in his walking long enough to hear the whispered concern from the younger woman. “She’s missing?”

“No one knows where she is.”

The older gentleman grunted, “It’s the Wolfhounds, they always find their prey.”

Hunter gave a shake of his head before continuing on his way. No matter where he went in this territory, it was always the same. When a great nation broke into three major territories after the wars, the one he was in seemed to attract all the crime families looking to gain a footing. Sirius, the eastern territory, was never the same after the fighting that broke out between the crime families. Many of the crime families had split the territory into smaller ones, each of those being controlled by a crime family. In this one, the Estar Family seemed to control the area with their own version of the secret police.

Maybe he should go to the northern territory, Arcturus. Supposedly, the more peaceful of the three just to get away from the violence. Or maybe the southern territory, Crux, he could hide among the largest region and disappear into one of their larger populations.

Hunter pondered to himself on the idea before shaking his head again. Just dreams at this point. The sounds of the city living around him pulled him further into its bowels until he found himself standing in front of a store. He could filch something small to eat. Hunter’s empty stomach was about to make up his mind for him when a small body slammed into his side. He stumbled and managed to catch himself just as the small child stumbled to their feet. Bright green eyes met his. The child was still long enough for him to make out long strands of red hair hanging out from the hood of their oversized hoodie.

Then the child was gone with a high yelped, “Sorry,” tossed over a shoulder. Hunter watched as the child took a right turn further ahead. He gave a huff before turning when a yell sounded. He looked back to see the child run past the opening to the walkway, quickly followed by five people dressed in the signature Wolfhound gear, with weapons drawn.

When he heard one of them yell, “The boss wants her alive, she’s got the key,” he froze. His boot hovered in the air mid-step, a thought wiggled. The small child from Hunter’s past seemed to appear with it. His thought grew. He had seen how bright those green eyes were. Something was keeping them bright. Something, his own eyes had lost over time, to the cruel history of Sirius and his own past. His fingers twitched. He had seen it before, long ago. What was it?

The sound of his boots ringing against metal followed him as he took off after. This was the craziest idea, but he had to find out what kept that light burning. Hunter grabbed a pipe that lined the corner and used his momentum to swing himself down the street path after the large group. He had only seconds to catch up. An emotion in him grew as Hunter rushed past people who were still righting themselves. Something he hadn’t felt in years. Hunter could make out the group ahead of him. Without a way to catch their attention, he let his hand slip behind him to find his blade. He’ll get their attention another way.

~~

Cerise flailed as the back of her hoodie, was grabbed and lifted off her feet. Red hair was exposed, the front long enough to reach past her shoulder and chopped short in the back. She tried to kick out at the man, only to be given a hard shake. Cerise squeaked as she wrapped her arms around her middle to keep the bag under her hoodie in place.

Twisting around to face the man holding her, she shrieked at him. “Put me down!”

The man grinned at her with oddly sharp teeth that had her shrinking back. “The boss wants to have a word with you.”

Cerise tried to kick at him. He laughed when she missed him. With a glare and a pout, she looked away. “I refuse. I have nothing he wants.”

“Are you sure about that?”

She looked around her at the two other Wolfhounds that had caught up to the man, with two others standing a few feet away. “I don’t have anything he would need. I’m nine. A child.”

“And a high school graduate. Your brain is what he wants. Plus, what you took.” Cerise looked at the ground.

“Ben.” The voice came from a woman with large eyes behind dark-rimmed glasses. “We should go.” A man with a large nose pulled a phone out to mess with it. Ben rolled his eyes.

Cerise saw him over Ben’s shoulder. The wolf mask drew her eye just as it did when she had run into him. She saw the blade just as one of the two on the outside did. The wolf man quickly disarmed them and caught their arm to toss them into another Wolfhound that rushed him. He shoved his booted foot against the tangled mess of Wolfhounds. Ben quickly stumbled away, his grip still tight on Cerise’s hoodie as the woman rushed past them.

Her feet touched the ground, and she quickly lifted her arms up. Cerise slipped out of the large hoodie quickly, scrambling away with Ben shouting after her. She threw herself behind a large dumpster just as something slammed into it. The loud sound startled a scream out of her as Cerise curled around the bag. She looked over to find the man with the large nose unconscious. She peeked out to find the wolfman fighting Ben. When an elbow slammed into Ben’s nose, a loud crunch had her wincing. Cerise ducked back behind the dumpster looking for somewhere to get away when it grew quiet.

She could hear boots walking towards her hiding spot. Cerise curled tighter over the bag and covered her head. Until something soft was dropped on her head. She sat up, making the hoodie fall off her head. Looking up, she found a notepad held out to her.

‘Are you okay?’

Cerise nodded, and he gave a stiff nod. He turned away. She looked at the bag and quickly scrambled up. Tugging the bag off and pulling her hoodie back on, she ran after him. “Wait!” The wolfman stopped to look at her. “Can you help me?” His silence stretched on as she watched him. “Please.” She opened the bag to show the money inside. “I’ll even pay.”

He stared at the money when suddenly, his stomach growled. Cerise looked away to hide the laugh. The wolf man pulled the pad of paper out. He passed it over after writing on it. ‘How?’

“I’m Cerise, help me get to Arcturus. There is a safe house there that my family owns.”

He scribbled something on the paper and handed it to her. ‘I’m Hunter.’

“Are you going to help me!?” Her green eyes shining with hope.

Hunter lifted his right hand and made a fist, nodding it in an up and down motion.


End file.
